Red Paper Revenge
by Slightly Confused Kitty
Summary: Oneshot. I wanted to KILL whatever had hurt- KILLED Sakura. "Revenge won’t make anyone happy… not you… and not me." And my anger dissipated as though it was a thousand bits of red paper and someone waved a giant fan, scattering it all to the silent world.


**She Can't Be Dead**

"She's dead."

I didn't comprehend it at first. I just waited for the final part of the sentence- the "-dead tired from the last mission" or "-dead on her feet from working in the hospital so much". But the final part didn't come. I kept waiting. The fox-masked Naruto just stood there, as though expecting me to answer, letting his guttural whisper hang in the air over our heads, extending tentacles over the suddenly silent forest that surrounded us.

The silence stretched on, pressing on me. Generally, if I don't understand things, I don't blurt out a question. I just gather more information until I do understand. But somehow I wanted- needed to understand this NOW.

"Is she now?" I didn't say I would be direct. Lifelong habits are hard to break, even when your world is straining and ripping at its seams, and an extremely important person _mightnotnecessarily_ be… dead.

Naruto shook with emotion, taking a moment to force his words out of apparently clenched teeth.

"You- you BASTARD! You don't care at ALL?! This is SAKURA! Sakura HARUNO, the one on Team Seven! The pink-haired one! THE ONE WE'VE KNOWN FOREVER!" His chest heaved with his rage. "HOW CAN YOU STAND THERE AND NOT CARE?!?! THIS IS SAKURA!! … Sakura…" Inside, I was shocked to the core. Inside, I was stuttering and wanting to run up to Naruto and SHAKE him until he told the truth and stopped LYING. Because he WAS lying. Sakura wasn't dead! She couldn't be _gone_! Sakura was always there! There was no way she'd be gone. Outside I stayed perfectly still and composed.

A cool wind whipped the leaves around in a quiet dance. The Naruto ripped off his mask and threw it aside. His face was demonic, even without the Kyuubi taking over him. And the worst part was- he wasn't lying. Pain, regret, and anger were all clearly spelled out on his face. No one could have faked that, not the most amazing actor of a ninja on the planet. And there were plenty of those when your trade lies in deception. I knew I was trying to distract myself from the horrible numbness that was creeping through me. Which was NOT because of Sakura's death. Since she wasn't dead. Those stupid Konoha ninja had made a mistake. A traitorous voice said, _Even the Hokage_. _Who happens to be one of the powerful Sannin. Who is rumored to have lost less than a hundred patients, in the millions she's treated. _It took a moment before I realized Naruto was talking again, spitting words out from between tears.

"She was _wrong._ She said… she said you were going to …come back. That you were- were going to return to Konoha a-and… Team Seven would be to-together again. When I said that maybe you m-might not come back…And you s-still CARED! THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID! BUT SHE WAS _WRONG!!_" His voice escalated to a yell. "YOU DON'T CARE! YOU NEVER DID! AND NOW SHE'S _DEAD! _SHE'S DEAD AND YOU _STILL… DON'T… GIVE… A… DAMN!!!_" He shook violently, red-tinted eyes searching my face desperately for _something_ that betrayed I had some reaction to his outburst. My mind was blank, two of his words reverberating in my head. _She's dead, she's dead she'sdeadshe'sdeadshe'sdead._

I tried to speak, to say what-I had no idea- but my face wouldn't respond, and my throat was on lockdown. Something very essential to me had simply gone and the numbness was being replaced by something strong and out-of-control. Something very akin to a deep, horrible, throbbing, empty misery. Then there was anger. The blinding insurmountable rage that built up within me. I wanted to KILL whatever had hurt Sakura. Then her voice swept around me in a wave of crystal-clear memory and flawless sound. _Revenge won't make anyone happy… not you… and not me. _And my anger dissipated as though it was a thousand bits of red paper and someone waved a giant fan, scattering the bits to the world. Because I would not make her any less happy than I already had.

~-~-~-~-~

A/N: Muh. Me no likey ending. Me hopes for suggestions from helpyful reader-people. Me also admits that this oneshot was mainly Sasuke-torture cuz he's a jerk. :D Heeeee. Do review for the nice author-lady. And helpyful reader-people get a virtual… uhhh… -looks around, and sees Naruto's discarded fox mask- AHAH! You get a FUH-REE FOXY MASK! GENUINELY PRESENT AT THE ONESHOT SCENE! WHAT A GREAT DEAL! JUST ONE REVIEW FOR A WHOLE FOX MASK! O-M-G! O.O

Random tree: Ehhhh… Don't hold the author's _specialness_ against me, please. I am innocent. –glances shiftily around- Yeah. Review. Something you loved, hated, thought came from the mind of a deranged lunatic -glances at happily-humming author- or whatever. Please.


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